Art In The City returns for its second edition this year, once again aiming to engage the local community through the arts with a whole host of exciting programming. With the theme of ‘I heART KL’, Art In The City 2019 opens this weekend and is happening from the 18 till 27 October 2019.
Art In The City (AITC) is an effort by the Cultural Economy Development Agency (CENDANA) and Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) that marked its inaugural edition in 2018. This year, the main programming happens across several locations in the city centre, with three main events heading the festival.
The first of which is a public art installation along the River of Life that will be unveiled on 18 October. After an open call for art earlier in the year, three artists were chosen by the AITC selection panel to showcase their art, who are Filamen, Joshua Teo and Pamela Tan. Their works, Entwine (Joshua Teo), Dome of Disappearance (Pamela Tan) and Wayang Tube (Filamen) will be on display around River of Life until February 2020.
Over on Jalan Raja, the pop-up Lucky Pao Market will be taking over the street for one day only. Happening on Saturday the 19th from 5pm to 11pm, Lucky Pao Market is an art-focused take on the beloved Pasar Malam and will see the gathering of artists and artisans in one place for a night of local craft, artworks, music and delicacies. Performances from some of the best local music acts are lined up for the night, next to street food and artisanal crafts, making it a feast for the senses in all ways. The winning entry of the I heART KL video competition, launched earlier in the year which called for Malaysians to show a narrative on the things that makes Kuala Lumpur unique, will also be screened at the Lucky Pao market.
The third is a public art forum happening on 20 October from 10am onwards at RUANG by ThinkCity theme Time, Place and Challenges. Speakers include Nani Kahar, Dr Rosli Zakaria, Tetawowe Atelier, Aisyah Baharuddin, Singaporean artist Lim Soo Ngee, and Ahmad Khairudin from Indonesia. RUANG also plays host to a Public Art Workshop on the following two days that are open to the public.
Several other activities are also lined up for the AITC week, including walking gallery tours that takes participants to other exhibitions happening around the city at the same time, as well as a Sketchwalk session by KL Sketchnation that invites the public to join the collective as they walk around the city and put pen to paper and sketch the various locations on their stroll.
So take some time out this coming week to engage with the city and get to know its people and its streets for the vibrant art that lives within it.
More information on Art In The City 2019 can be found on the CENDANA website, as well as information on the line up of events taking place throughout the week.
